“When the tea is brought at five o’clock, And all the neat curtains are drawn with care, The little black cat with bright green eyes is suddenly purring there.” —Harold Monro, 1914

Who will bell the cat? According to Aesop, a long time ago the mice got together to consider how they could outwit their common enemy, the Cat. Everyone agreed that there was a problem, and the mice had a very heated discussion about the best way to deal with what they called “the feline question.” Finally, a small young mouse asked to be recognized. His proposal was this: “I think we can all agree that what makes the Cat our most treacherous foe is the silent way she creeps up on us. If we heard her coming, we could easily escape. What I suggest is that we fasten a collar with bells around the Cat’s neck. That way we will always know when she is coming and will be able to hide.” The little mouse’s proposal met with hearty applause — at least until a wise older mouse rose and spoke. “Your suggestion is all well and good, but who among you mice will bell the cat?” Each mouse looked at his neighbor; no one spoke. Then, the elder mouse proclaimed, “It is easy to propose solutions that are impossible.” The winsome green-eyed cat here, most likely a German Cortendorf teapot, has yet to be belled. (The Cortendorf factory was taken over by Goebel in 1973.)